A commission of inquiry is the only way to sort out the “critical mass of maladministration and mismanagement” at Eskom, a Democratic Alliance MP said on Monday.
“The series of new revelations concerning Eskom and its acquisition of a new power plant in particular constitute a critical mass of maladministration and mismanagement,” Manie van Dyk said.
“The DA believes the only viable course of action now, if Eskom’s decline is to be arrested and its performance turned around, is for the president to appoint a commission of inquiry into its affairs.”
The majority of abuses at Eskom appeared to have taken place in the construction of the Kusile power station, which was reported to be costing five times more to build than similar projects elsewhere in the world, Van Dyk said.
A coal contract for supply to Eskom’s Hendrina power station was awarded without going to tender, with the net result that the cost for coal there had doubled.
“The ANC leadership needs to recognise this fact and President [Jacob] Zuma needs to establish a commission of inquiry. Only then will the public and the government fully understand where the problems lie, who was responsible and how best to go about fixing the situation.” — Sapa